


hangman's knot

by CapriciousCrab



Series: burden and blame [3]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Letters Home, M/M, On the Run, run in with the law
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-18 03:32:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18112412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapriciousCrab/pseuds/CapriciousCrab
Summary: A run-in with the law leaves them shaken and more desperate than ever to get home.





	hangman's knot

January 8, 1853  
Brentwood, Tennessee

  
The gathered crowd is strangely silent, riveted to the spectacle unfolding before them on the hill. Nearly the entire town has turned out and the air is buzzing with dismay and unease and for those darker of heart, a sick excitement. All eyes are on the man standing tall on the platform, his chin raised high and hands tucked neatly behind him.  
  
After all, it’s not every day that there’s a hanging.  
  
Dan stands silently in the crowd. He’s sweating, beads of it rolling down the sides of his face to drip off of his chin to patter into the dirt. His expression is stoic, his eyes intent on the man on the gallows as his hands clench into tight fists at his side. He’s close enough to make eye contact with the man on the platform and when their eyes meet, Dan feels like the breath is being sucked from his lungs.  
  
Phil stares steadily at Dan, his bright blue eyes strangely calm. Face placid and smooth, he shows none of the fear that Dan himself feels coursing through his body. His lips quirk up in a sad little half smile and he gives a tiny nod as if to tell Dan everything will be alright. His eyes move across Dan’s face as if to memorize every detail, his lower lip trembling softly before he squares his shoulders and looks away, lifting his chin even higher.  
  
The rope around his neck is thick and course, chafing the delicate white skin there. Dan can see the raw, red spots from where he stands and gnashes his teeth against the cry of rage that’s building in his chest. He wants to howl with the anger the swirls in him and vows to make the sheriff of this little backwoods town pay, but for now, he must wait and bide his time and play this macabre game set in motion.  
  
He watches the sheriff storm from the jail to the gallows, a scowl etched deeply on his face. He spies Dan watching from the crowd and shoots him a look of pure hatred and bitter anger. Dan doesn’t take his eyes off him, determined to shoot him dead if he goes back on his word, fuck the consequences.  
  
Colton stomps his way up the stairs and makes his way to where Phil stands silent and still. His hands are rough as they yank Phil towards him before snatching the rope up and off of his neck, spinning him around to release his hands before giving him a shove toward the steps. Dan can see the confusion on Phil's face as he watches him stumble before regaining his balance, rubbing his sore wrists as he makes his way down the steps while the sheriff addresses the gathered townsfolk.  
  
“There seems to have been a misunderstanding” Colton grits out, face red with the heat of thwarted fury. “This ain’t the right man after all. Now y'all go on back to your business.”  
  
The buzzing confusion of the crowd covers up his words to Dan and Phil as he stops before them. “Get out of my town and don’t let me see you sissy boys again. You understand?” he hisses between his teeth.  
  
Dan matches his glare with one of his own but speaks softly so as not to be overheard. “If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you.” He says, voice cold and deadly. “And if you ever come near Phil again? You’ll _wish_ I had killed you.” He watches the color drains from Colton’s face and smiles as he tips his hat. “So long, Sheriff Colton.”

 

  
  
January 14th, 1853  
  
_Hello Mum,_  
  
_Well, hard times sure like to follow us wherever we go. Phil seems to draw trouble to him like flowers draw bees and this time I nearly lost him._  
  
_We'd only stopped in some little town to buy supplies but somehow the sheriff recognized Phil's face and arrested him before we could even try to slip away. There must be posters out for him but that's a concern for another day._  
  
_I had to think fast, so I went and challenged the sheriff to a high-stakes game of cards. If I won, he'd set Phil free and let us go on our way. If he won, he'd get my gold pocket watch, the remainder of our cash, and a few other... things he had demanded. I can feel your dismay from here and can only hope you won't judge me for what I was prepared to offer. With Phil's life at stake, there wasn't anything I wouldn't do to save him..._  
  
                                                                                                                       ***

  
  
January 21, 1853  
Elk Garden, West Virgina  
  
  
It's the first time they've been alone in days.

The cheapest rail tickets don't allow for much privacy, often consisting of shared quarters with other travelers. Spending his days and nights pressed up against Phil, feeling the heat of his body and inhaling the scent of his hair but being unable to run his hands over him has Dan feeling a bit touch-starved. 

They'd disembarked here in Elk Garden and had enough funds left to rent an actual room. One with a washstand and bed and a proper door. A door that locks and as Dan follows Phil down the hall to their assigned room he can feel his heart racing with growing excitement.  
  
He watches Phil's ass move beneath his loose trousers, his eyes moving up along his back to the silky black hair curling slightly at his nape, still damp from his shower. Seeing Phil's eyes light up at the sight of the shower house had Dan grinning and digging in his pockets for coins before Phil could even turn and ask, the bliss on Phil's face and the heat of the water beating down on his own shoulders making it worth every penny.  
  
Phil stops before one of the chipped wooden doors, stepping to the side and turning to face Dan as he walks forward with the door key. They're both silent now; eyes bright with the burgeoning desire beginning to build between them. Dan watches Phil bite that plush lower lip of his and his hands fumbled with the knob, slipping off of the key before trying again, twisting it in the lock and swinging the door open. He holds it open for Phil, waiting until he crosses the threshold before following, closing the door and locking it behind him.  
  
Reluctant to break the silence, this heat that is building between them, Dan steps closer and places his hands on Phil's face. Tipping his face up to his own, he is finally able to claim the kiss he'd been longing for, nibbling at his lips before slipping his tongue inside to taste the sweetness of Phil's mouth. Phil sighs and slides his hands up into Dan's hair, fingers twisting into the curls and waves as he lets Dan take control. He revels in the feel of their mouths moving together and almost lets himself get lost in it before breaking the kiss, resting his forehead against Phil's for a moment as he steadies his breathing.  
  
“Dan? What's wrong?” Phil questions quietly. His fingers are playing with Dan's hair, and he looks soft and inviting and Dan wants nothing more than cover his body with his own. But Phil has been guarded since the near hanging, refusing to discuss it at all no matter how Dan has tried to bring it up.  
  
“Everything's fine, Phil. I want to make sure that _you're_ fine. You won't talk to me about what's happened and I-”  
  
Phil makes a noise of irritation in the back of his throat as he pulls out of Dan's arms to stalk over to the window. “Phil...”  
  
“I told you, I don't want to talk. I want to forget! Why can't you just... let me forget?” he cries, blue eyes stormy with anger. He glares at Dan before his face crumbles and he throws himself back into Dan's waiting arms. “Make me forget.”  
  
He lifts Phil's chin and searches his face carefully. No tears fill those eyes, just a wild stubbornness that he wants to soothe. He feels powerless; wanting to help but afraid to push too hard or go too far.

So, for now, he helps Phil forget.  
  
-  
  
He's got Phil spread across the bed, pale skin glowing in the moonlight that spills in from the window. Phil's arms are crossed above his head, hands gripping the bed sheets as Dan moves his mouth from Phil's hip to thigh. He dances his tongue along the crease where leg meets groin, sucking marks into the porcelain flesh there while his ears fill with the sweet moans that tumble from Phil's mouth.  
  
The glass vial resting next to Phil's hip is grabbed and uncorked as Dan coats his fingers with oil, the sweet scent of almonds filling the space between them as Dan slips his mouth over the head of Phil's swollen cock. Phil's moan turns into a strangled gasp when Dan presses his oil slick finger against his entrance, tracing the puckered rim of his body before dipping gently inside.  
  
Dan can feel his own cock throbbing as Phil clenches around the intrusion of his finger. He waits until Phil's body relaxes, his mouth slipping lower on his cock and taking him deep before beginning to move his finger within Phil's body. His finger keeps pace with his mouth, stroking in time to the bobbing of his head over Phil's groin, pressing deep as Phil's cock slides into Dan's throat.  
  
He loves this, loves feeling the head of Phil's cock at the back of his throat and lower, his nose buried in the coarse curls at the base. One day he'll have Phil lay him out on the bed and fuck his mouth, his balls pressed against Dan's chin while he chokes on Phil's length. The thought of it sends a jolt to his cock as he ruts against the bed, taking Phil a bit deeper than before as he slides another finger into Phil's body.

  
Phil's gasps are turning into little high-pitched whines as Dan plays with his body, thrusting his hips up in an effort to chase Dan's mouth as it slips up and away.  
  
“Dan, no! Come back, please! I need-”  
  
He leans back on his heels and watches his fingers moving in and out of Phil's ass before catching Phil's gaze. He's blushing, his cheeks pink with desire and embarrassment at being looked at so closely so Dan pulls his fingers out and moves up Phil's body, dragging his mouth along his belly and stopping at a firm nipple to lick and nibble.  
  
“Oh! Oh, yes, Danny. More, please!” Phil begs as his fingers twist and clinch against the sheets. He hasn't moved his arms because Dan hasn't said he could and Dan can tell that Phil's doing everything he can not to sink his hands into Dan's hair and guide his mouth to where he wants it most.  
  
But Dan's in control and Phil knows it, so his arms stay above his head while he begs Dan for relief. He gives Phil's nipple one last nip, the little bite of pain making a drop of precome bead on the head of his cock. He runs his thumb over it, smoothing it around the rosy, swollen head before dipping down to lap it off with the tip of his tongue.  
  
Phil's hips jerk up once again as the breath punches from his lungs in a heavy sobbing sigh.  
  
“Please! D-Dan, I need...”  
  
Dan looks into his face then, noting the signs of desperation and decides that Phil has waited long enough.  
  
“Alright love, alright. You're ready for me then, Phil?” Dan is panting now, his hand working the oil over his own cock, slicking it up to slide into Phil's body. He presses the head against Phil's rim and slides in gently, gasping at the feel of Phil surrounding him. “Oh God, Phil, you feel so good. You're so good for me, aren't you?”  
  
Phil's big, blue eyes are locked on Dan's face, his teeth sunk into his bottom lip in an effort to keep his noises contained but little moans and whimpers spill out, filling Dan's ears and ratcheting up his desire. He thrusts deep and hard, chasing the end for both of them now, body desperate for release. Phil's hips are rising to meet him, his slender body bowing up as his orgasm crashes over him, making him cry out.  
  
The feeling of Phil clenching around him is enough to bring him off and he thrusts once more before holding deep, filling Phil with his desire. He lets his body rest against Phil's briefly before rolling off to pull him close, rubbing the muscles of Phil's shoulders and arms in an effort to soothe the strain of holding them in place for so long. He kisses the tender spot beneath his ear and his eyes catch on the healing raw spots on Phil's neck. Tracing a gentle fingertip over one, he snatches his hand away when Phil flinches.  
  
“I'm sorry, love. Does it hurt? Should I get you a salve?” he asks a bit frantically. Phil hadn’t mentioned any pain and Dan, not wanting to push, had kept quiet. But now he fears he’s made a mistake.

Phil rolls to face him and tucks his head into Dan's neck, making a soft noise of protest. “No, you're warm and I'm tired. Please don't get up.”

He tugs him a bit closer and laughs when Phil tosses his leg across his hip, pinning him to the bed. “Ok, ok. I won't get up. But Phil, _are_ you alright?”  
  
“I don't want to talk about it.”  
  
“Phil-”  
  
Phil huffs and pulls away, rolling over to leave Dan staring at his back. It's not like Phil to turn away from him and he frowns in dismay. Laying a gentle hand on Phil's shoulder, he gives his skin a soft caress and tries again.  
  
“You don't have to talk if you don't want to, not right now.” He tucks himself up against his back, fitting his knees into the spaces behind Phil's so they're as close as they can be. He slides his hand down his arm to entwine their fingers together and matches his breathing to Phil's. “But I'll be here when you _are_ ready. We're safe now and soon we'll be home.”  
  
He doesn't expect an answer, so he talks quietly of the future, of his mother and how she can't wait to meet Phil. He paints pictures with his words; of family dinners and baking apple pies for desserts and lets them lull Phil to sleep, his body going soft and pliant against him in slumber.  
  
Dan knows that there will come a time when Phil's stoicism breaks and those carefully constructed walls he's built come tumbling down to release all the pain and fear he's repressed over the years and he'll be there waiting, ready to shore up the weak spots until Phil feels safe again. But for now, all he can do is hold Phil close and press sleepy kisses along the nape of his neck before letting himself drift off to sleep, content in the knowledge that Phil's safe in his arms.

 

                                                                                                                      ***

  
  
January 26th, 1853  
  
_We're nearly home now, Mum, perhaps only a few weeks out._  
  
_It's certainly taken us much longer than expected and we'll be glad to finally be finished with this blasted journey and home safe with you instead. We've been sticking to small towns to avoid as many people as we can. Going off trail takes longer but is safer for Phil since we don't know just who may be looking for him._  
  
_You should be pleased to know that I've been praising your cooking nearly every day to Phil, and I can almost taste the roast you make every Sunday. He hasn't said much about it, but I know he's terribly nervous about his reception. I tried to reassure him that you're more than pleased to welcome him home and offer him love and safety but he's not had much of those lately. He fears your rejection greatly._  
  
_Not much longer, Mum. I promise._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> you can like and reblog [here](https://capriciouscrab.tumblr.com/post/183456832945/hangmans-knot-rating-explicit-words-27k) :)


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